Friday 8th December 2017

[Tubby Isaacs]

freedom to agree trade worldwide

Like joining EFTA then.

[citizenJA]

Hi Citizen,

The Labour campaigning capacity is hugely important, and that's down to Corbyn. I just think they've missed tricks with what could be put on the leaflets.

I'm sure you're right
There's no heat or emotion in my response towards you, Tubby
I'm frightened by current affairs and Tory government
I'm not clutching onto Labour like a security blanket, I'm just taking each day as it comes
It's Labour ringing us up locally, keeping us appraised of what Labour knows, that's all I'm saying

[Willow904]

This is a well made point from Polly Toynbee

Polly Toynbee‏Verified account
@pollytoynbee
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The dogs not barking should alarm. Brextremists won't accept "alignment", with no job for Fox, cobwebs on Trade Dept door.Redwood,Duncan Smith,Bone etc haven't turned softy, just biding time to kill off May and put in one of their own to stop all this.

The thing to watch is still the withdrawal bill and the amount of power it confers to government to pursue its Brexit of choice. If it goes through unamended, and May's government is replaced, there could be no way to stop a new government pursuing any kind of Brexit they choose. I believe there's an important amendment vote on this from Dominic Grieve on Wednesday.

[RogerOThornhill]

Evening all. All day in the library poring over old -and sometimes very fragile- plans, and down to school for the talent show.

Oh dear...

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David Allen Green‏
@davidallengreen
Following Following @davidallengreen
More David Allen Green Retweeted Conservatives
1. No such thing as "British Laws" - England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland all have their own separate legal systems.

2. Judgments, not "judgements" in legal context.

3. British judges do not use gavels.

[Willow904]

For a minute there I thought the "oh dear" referred to the talent show. Relieved to realise my mistake. And yes, you'd hope politicians at least would be aware that the various UK countries have their own laws, but the Tories are proving themselves to be pretty thick at the moment.

[tinybgoat]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... air-piques" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Olly Robbins: the Brexit sherpa hardened by the Brown-Blair piques"

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... air-piques
"Olly Robbins: the Brexit sherpa hardened by the Brown-Blair piques"

It was quite interesting May brought Robbins into Number 10. Not a sign of great faith in David Davis.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Did anyone see Dominic Raab being interviewed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy?

Sounds like the Tories are crumbling already

[PaulfromYorkshire]

For clarity I didn't see it, just reading about it on Twitter.

[citizenJA]

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's been relatively mild, the weather
Okay, it's been cold, I know
please take care, everyone
getting caught unprepared for cold, ice, wind and snow is deadly

[PaulfromYorkshire]

You can watch the Raab interview here. Recommended!

https://www.channel4.com/news/dominic-r ... ep-forward" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

dominic-raab-on-brexit-deal-its-your-wilful-inability-to-accept-that-weve-actually-made-a-positive-step-forward

[PorFavor]

You can watch the Raab interview here. Recommended!

https://www.channel4.com/news/dominic-r ... ep-forward" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

dominic-raab-on-brexit-deal-its-your-wilful-inability-to-accept-that-weve-actually-made-a-positive-step-forward

I've just watched it. Already disagreement on the meaning of the agreement!

[Tubby Isaacs]

I saw it. Raab was appalling.

The saner faction in the government must have enjoyed sticking him up for that.

[PorFavor]

I saw it. Raab was appalling.

The saner faction in the government must have enjoyed sticking him up for that.

Well, that probably would have been a job for Michael Fallon once upon a time . . .

[Tubby Isaacs]

You can watch the Raab interview here. Recommended!

https://www.channel4.com/news/dominic-r ... ep-forward" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

dominic-raab-on-brexit-deal-its-your-wilful-inability-to-accept-that-weve-actually-made-a-positive-step-forward

I've just watched it. Already disagreement on the meaning of the agreement!

Raab's lying because his side have been slaughtered.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

And this is May's triumph.

Already in tatters on C4 News

[PaulfromYorkshire]

You can watch the Raab interview here. Recommended!

https://www.channel4.com/news/dominic-r ... ep-forward" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

dominic-raab-on-brexit-deal-its-your-wilful-inability-to-accept-that-weve-actually-made-a-positive-step-forward

I've just watched it. Already disagreement on the meaning of the agreement!

Raab's lying because his side have been slaughtered.

But reports were that Barnier said that May was saying exactly the same.

So is she on the Raab side in your mind?

[AnatolyKasparov]

Two local council byelections yesterday:

North Devon DC - Liberal Democrat gain from Tory, meaning the Tory-led coalition here loses its overall majority. As that situation might suggest this was a keenly fought contest and a close run thing - the LibDems winning by less than 2% over the Tories (and both polling in the 35-40% range) in a ward which returned 2 Tories in 2015 (as it did in 2011 and 2007, however all these elections were fairly close and in 2003 things split 1C/1LD) The swing was about 5% since both two years ago and 2011 and since the Tory vote held up reasonably well this indicates that LibDems also gained support from the Greens who came a close third (their top candidate outpolling the second placed LibDem) last time, but saw a double figure drop now. Labour intervened and scored 8%, not much different from their only other recent showing here in 2011.

Enfield - Labour hold in the last London vacancy to go to the polls before next May's regular elections, and they did so with almost exactly 70% of the vote in a contest which broke the recent LibDem winning streak for the very good reason that they weren't actually standing. This ward returned 3 Tories in a close straight fight with Labour back in 2002, but in 2006 a local hospital controversy (and Independents polling decently on the back of it) helped Labour to make a clean sweep - very much against the national trend then but not so much locally as the Tories who had swept to power four years earlier almost lost control. They did so in 2010, and Labour narrowly won the council and more comfortably here before running away with this ward in the most recent 2014 contest - when a single UKIP candidate outpolled the last placed Tory and even the moribund BNP polled a non-negligible vote. Neither stood this time which meant the Tories saw a rise in their share and Labour had an increase of some 20 points on paper (though as in a few safe Tory vacancies recently, being opposed by many single opposition candidates in a multi-member seat maybe exaggerates the scale of their advance in a single seat by-election) Nonetheless it must be an encouraging result for Labour ahead of next year, and they may also take comfort from the only other opposition this time, the Greens, seeing their vote more than halved since three years ago to just 3%.

Next week the electoral year ends with a flourish with no fewer than ten contests - two of them on Wednesday.

[Tubby Isaacs]

So is she on the Raab side in your mind?

Good point!

I think she's changed sides to the realists.

[AngryAsWell]

e Pileus‏
@thepileus


BREAKING! Stephen Hawking is leading legal action to block Jeremy Hunt & his chums from privatising further parts of the NHS. Mr Branson will not be pleased!

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[AngryAsWell]

More on Hawking's legal action...
Hawking joins Judicial Review v Jeremy Hunt


https://keepournhspublic.com/news/urgen ... osition-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

I saw it. Raab was appalling.

The saner faction in the government must have enjoyed sticking him up for that.

Well, that probably would have been a job for Michael Fallon once upon a time . . .

Yeah, he was the go to bruiser. Not a Brexit fan though, I don't think.

I can imagine somebody saying "Dominic, you're tough, go and give lefty news a hard time!"

[PorFavor]

Night night.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Well well, it would appear my somewhat gloomy view of the DUP's involvement the other night was wrong, Arlene has played a blinder.

In backing proposals that were actually stronger in their wording than the ones she rejected she seems inadvertantly to have saved us from a hard Brexit or no deal. And we know there's no way the DUP will change their mind on this because they are notoriously intransigent. They are also hilariously incompetent (unless you happen to live in Northern Ireland) which is why I think they put their name to this, they're fucking morons who can't see beyond their own petty parochial politics into the bigger picture for the UK as a whole.

And so, thanks to Arlene and her band of gibbering dimwits, we'll still be in the customs union and single market in all but name, despite the fact that's exactly what they didn't want to happen.

It's not perfect but it's better than every other alternative other than staying in the EU.

[frog222]

SGO 10-.49 - fraid not .

Everything that you thought may have been resolved was just kicked down the road .
Yanis Varoufakis was right .
The EU has since reminded us that we wanted "nothing is decided before everything is decided" .
So a Hard Brexit is still possible.
The EU has reminded us that the cliff-edge is still there . Very clearly .


I'd love to be proved in error about all that

[Sky'sGoneOut]

So what do you all want from Labour now?

Because I'm afraid I'm in the Corbyn is useless camp in regards to Brexit.

In the last couple of weeks I've seen Chuka and Owen Smith on Question Time making cogent arguments for remaining whereas all I've heard from the Corbyn camp is empty waffle and wishful thinking.

I don't have a dog in this fight.

I'd just like to know what you think.

[citizenJA]

I saw it. Raab was appalling.

The saner faction in the government must have enjoyed sticking him up for that.

Well, that probably would have been a job for Michael Fallon once upon a time . . .

'saner faction'
I've got to use that descriptor for something
a band, contour stick, hair pomade, blush palette...

[citizenJA]

So what do you all want from Labour now?

Because I'm afraid I'm in the Corbyn is useless camp in regards to Brexit.

In the last couple of weeks I've seen Chuka and Owen Smith on Question Time making cogent arguments for remaining whereas all I've heard from the Corbyn camp is empty waffle and wishful thinking.

I don't have a dog in this fight.

I'd just like to know what you think.

May I offer you a Sane Faction?
Oatmeal, honey, butter, grated lemon peel and ginger baked with a cuppa something hot on the side

[Sky'sGoneOut]

You know what CJA?

The honey and butter are a bit fattening for me, if I can substitute it with a wee bit of brown sugar and olive oil then you have a deal.

[citizenJA]

Well well, it would appear my somewhat gloomy view of the DUP's involvement the other night was wrong, Arlene has played a blinder.

In backing proposals that were actually stronger in their wording than the ones she rejected she seems inadvertantly to have saved us from a hard Brexit or no deal. And we know there's no way the DUP will change their mind on this because they are notoriously intransigent. They are also hilariously incompetent (unless you happen to live in Northern Ireland) which is why I think they put their name to this, they're fucking morons who can't see beyond their own petty parochial politics into the bigger picture for the UK as a whole.

And so, thanks to Arlene and her band of gibbering dimwits, we'll still be in the customs union and single market in all but name, despite the fact that's exactly what they didn't want to happen.

It's not perfect but it's better than every other alternative other than staying in the EU.

I was talking with Mr citizen earlier this evening (he makes delicious Sane Factions) about my editor throwing the manuscript of my work of fiction back at me, shouting, 'ridiculously implausible!' if current events formed the basis of my story

I don't have a manuscript or editor
I've Mr citizen and home-made flapjacks

[citizenJA]

You know what CJA?

The honey and butter are a bit fattening for me, if I can substitute it with a wee bit of brown sugar and olive oil then you have a deal.

I'll be happy to modify the recipe for you but the caloric value for either edition are comparable, aren't they?

[citizenJA]

Night night.

Goodnight, PorFavor

[citizenJA]

Where's HindleA, please?

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, everyone
love,
cJA

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Night CJA, it was nice to have our paths cross however briefly, and don't worry I'll go see if I can find hindle.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

I'll be happy to modify the recipe for you but the caloric value for either edition are comparable, aren't they?

A few tiny grains of brown sugar is enough for me, I'm one of those rare humans blessed not to have a sweet tooth. Sweet stuff makes me nauseous. Almost my entire excess calorific intake is booze.

[tinybgoat]

Where's HindleA, please?

Pork pie season? (he mentioned something about entering refrigeration area, yesterday)

[HindleA]

Same place different activity,not sure if I will be involved in the pie thing this year.Packing them clarification,we don't make anything,store,transport,etc.It's like a maze.I got lost long enough in the freezer,worse when they put the fans on,to have visions of being found frozen to death amongst all.the chicken etc.

[tinybgoat]

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